Former news editors plead guilty in phone hacking trial

British prosecutors at the phone hacking trial at the Old Bailey have opened their case and revealed three former news desk editors at the defunct tabloid News Of The World have already pleaded guilty to charges arising from phone hacking. The jurors were told they're entitled to use that as evidence that a conspiracy existed.

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TONY EASTLEY: British prosecutors at the phone hacking trial at the Old Bailey have opened their case and revealed three former news desk editors at the defunct tabloid News Of The World have already pleaded guilty to charges arising from phone hacking.

The jurors were told they're entitled to use that as evidence that a conspiracy existed.

Europe correspondent Mary Gearin reports from London.

MARY GEARIN: In outlining the case so far, crown prosecutor Andrew Edis QC revealed details that haven't been able to be published.

He told the jury that the private investigator hired by News of the World, Glenn Mulcaire, has pleaded guilty to hacking the voicemails of murdered teenager Milly Dowler and others - and that three of the four news desk editors at the tabloid during the period of investigation - Neville Thurlbeck, Greg Miskiw and James Weatherup - have already pleaded guilty to phone hacking.

The barrister asked, how did that happen if senior management wasn't involved?

The fourth news desk editor during that period, Ian Edmondson, has denied the charge. The prosecution says it will be able to show Edmondson was involved.

Mr Edis told the court that Brooks and Coulson were in charge at either News of the World or the Sun newspapers when the crimes allegedly took place.

The crown prosecutor said there was phone hacking and quite a lot of it, and the question was who knew about it.

He told the jury, as a Sunday paper, the News of the World wasn't an enormous document - it wasn't War and Peace - and that it wouldn't be too much trouble for those in charge to know what was going on. 'They must have known,' he said. 'If they didn't,' he asked, 'what were they doing?'

Regarding the charges relating to corruption of public officials, according to the prosecution, Brooks at one point approved the payment of about $65,000 to one senior official, while Coulson is accused of conspiring with royal editor Clive Goodman and others to buy a directory with phone numbers of staff serving the royal family.

This is just the beginning of what will be a lengthy prosecution opening statement. The prosecutor pointed out that the case is not an attack on freedom of the press. But, he said, journalists are no more entitled to break the law than any of us.

As he was on his feet in court, newspaper publishers were trying and failing in a High Court bid to stop new government rules to regulate the press. The publishers believe the rules are being rushed through, and that a watchdog that can be changed by a two-thirds majority of Parliament amounts to state regulation of the press.

Bob Satchwell is executive director of the Society of Editors.

BOB SATCHWELL: The politicians say well they've got a way of protecting the freedom of the press by having a two-thirds majority of both Houses of Parliament in order to change it.

Well, if you turn that round the other way, it's not protection if there's another big row between the press and politicians in a few years time about expenses or whatever, quite clearly they'll very easily get a two-thirds majority and they'll probably get a complete majority to change the rules and could in theory, then start interfering with what the papers are writing.

MARY GEARIN: The publishers insist they are pushing ahead with their own regulator, free of government influence.

The coming months, in court and out, are sure to be fascinating for the British press.